Ultra-short disposable setting tool

ABSTRACT

A setting tool for setting an auxiliary tool in a well, the setting tool including an inner mandrel having an upper section and a lower section, the upper section having an internal chamber configured to house a power charge; a barrel piston enclosing the upper section of the inner mandrel, the barrel piston having (1) an outer section fixedly attached with a tread to the upper section, and (2) an inner section slidably inserted between the outer section and the upper section; and an actuation chamber located between the upper section of the inner mandrel and the outer section of the barrel piston and configured to receive a pressured gas from the internal chamber, through a slot that extends transversal to the thread of the upper section of the inner mandrel.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein generally relate todownhole tools for well operations, and more specifically, to adisposable setting tool used in a well for actuating an auxiliary tool.

Discussion of the Background

During well exploration, one or more tools are lowered into the well andplaced at desired positions for plugging, perforating, and/or drillingthe well. These tools are placed inside the well with the help of aconduit, as a wireline, electric line, continuous coiled tubing,threaded work string, etc. However, some of these tools need to beactivated or set in place. The force needed to activate such a tool islarge, for example, in excess of 15,000 lbs. Such a large force cannotbe supplied by the conduit noted above.

A setting tool is commonly used in the industry to activate the toolsnoted above. Such a setting tool is typically activated by an explosivecharge that causes a first piston to be driven inside the setting tool.The movement of the first piston is transmitted to a second piston, byuse of an oil located between the two pistons. The movement of thesecond piston activates the various tools. A traditional setting tool100 is shown in FIG. 1 and includes a firing head 102 that is connectedto a pressure chamber 104. The firing head 102 ignites a primary igniter103 that in turn ignites a power charge 106. Note that a secondaryigniter may be located between the primary igniter and the power chargeto bolster the igniting effect of the primary igniter.

A mandrel 110 is connected to a housing of the pressure chamber 104 andthis cylinder fluidly communicates with the pressure chamber. Thus, whenthe power charge 106 is ignited, the large pressure generated inside thepressure chamber 104 is guided into the mandrel 110. A floating piston112, which is located inside the mandrel 110, is pushed by the pressureformed in the pressure chamber 104 to the right in the figure. Oil 114stored in a first chamber 115 of the mandrel 110, is pushed through aconnector 116, formed in a block 118, which is located inside themandrel 110, to a second chamber 120. The connector 116 is sized tocontrol the amount of oil moving toward a second piston 122, to preventthis piston to to have a violent motion. The second piston 122 islocated in the second chamber 120 and under the pressure exerted by theoil 114, the piston 122 and a piston rod 124 exert a large force on acrosslink 126. Crosslink 126 can move relative to the mandrel 110 andhas a setting mandrel 128 for setting a desired tool (which wasdiscussed above). Note that mandrel 110 has the end 130 sealed with acylinder head 132 that allows the piston rod 124 to move back and forthwithout being affected by the wellbore/formation pressure.

After the setting tool has been set, it needs to be raised to thesurface and be reset for another use. Because the burning of the powercharge 106 has created a large pressure inside the pressure chamber 104,this pressure needs to be relieved, the pressure chamber needs to becleaned from the residual explosive and ashes, and the pistons and theoil (hydraulic fluids) need to be returned to their initial positions.If the setting tool is to be disposed, the oil needs to be removed fromthe setting tool to prevent contamination of the environment.

Relieving the high pressure formed in the pressure chamber 104 is notonly dangerous to the health of the workers performing this task,because of the toxic gases left behind by the burning of the powercharge, but is also a safety issue because the pressure in the pressurechamber is high enough to injure the workers if its release is notcarefully controlled. In this regard, note that the traditional settingtool 100 has a release valve 140 that is used for releasing the pressurefrom inside the pressure chamber. However, when the release valve 140 isremoved from cylinder 100, due to the high pressure inside the cylinder,the release valve may behave like a projectile and injure the personremoving it. For this reason, a dedicated removing procedure has beenput in place and also a safety sleeve is used to cover the releasevalve, when at the surface, for relieving the pressure from the settingtool. In addition, the oil contained inside the tool may pose acontamination danger to the environment in case that an internal sealfails. Following these procedures is time consuming, which is undesiredin the field.

Thus, another approach is to use a setting tool that self-vents whiledownhole, and/or contains no oil, to avoid the need for redressing thetool at the surface. However, the current disposable setting toolssuffer from a number of drawbacks including high overall tool length, aninability to vent the tool in the event of partial or incompleteactivation, and a high shock load upon activation. Thus, there is a needfor a disposable setting tool that overcomes these problems.

SUMMARY

According to an embodiment, there is a setting tool for setting anauxiliary tool in a well, and the setting tool includes an adaptor subfor affixing an ignitor, an inner mandrel having an upper section and alower section, the upper section having an internal chamber suitable forhousing a power charge, and the lower section configured to connect toan adapter sub for affixing the auxiliary tool, a barrel piston havingslidably engaged inner and outer sections, an actuation chamber locatedbetween the upper section of the inner mandrel and the outer section ofthe barrel piston, and a first port located on the upper section of theinner mandrel, wherein the first port is part of a fluid communicationpassage between the internal chamber and the actuation chamber. Anactivation of the power charge by the ignitor causes gas to pressurizethe actuation chamber and the inner section of the barrel piston tostroke downward to set the auxiliary tool in the well.

According to another embodiment, there is a setting tool for setting anauxiliary tool in a well, and the setting tool includes an inner mandrelhaving an upper section and a lower section, the upper section having aninternal chamber configured to house a power charge, a barrel pistonenclosing the upper section of the inner mandrel, the barrel pistonhaving (1) an outer section fixedly attached with a tread to the uppersection, and (2) an inner section slidably inserted between the outersection and the upper section, and an actuation chamber located betweenthe upper section of the inner mandrel and the outer section of thebarrel piston and configured to receive a pressured gas from theinternal chamber, through a slot that extends transversal to the threadof the upper section of the inner mandrel.

According to still another embodiment, there is a method for using asetting tool in a casing. The method includes lowering the setting toolinto the casing, igniting a power charge located inside an inner mandrelof the setting tool, directing a pressured gas generated by the ignitedpower charge between an inner section and an outer section of a barrelpiston, actuating the inner section with the pressured gas so that theinner section moves relative to the outer section, and setting anauxiliary tool attached to the setting tool when the inner section isfully stroked. An actuation chamber located between the inner mandreland the outer section of the barrel piston is configured to receive thepressured gas from an internal chamber of the inner mandrel, through aslot that extends transversal to a thread of the upper section of theinner mandrel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of the specification, illustrate one or more embodiments and,together with the description, explain these embodiments. In thedrawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a traditional setting tool that needs to be retrievedto the surface for removing pressurized gas from inside;

FIG. 2 illustrates a disposable, ultra-short, setting tool, before beingactivated;

FIG. 3 illustrates a detail of the disposable, ultra-short, settingtool;

FIG. 4 illustrates an end of an inner mandrel of the disposable,ultra-short, setting tool;

FIG. 5 illustrates the disposable, ultra-short, setting tool after beingactivated;

FIG. 6 illustrates a venting mechanism of the disposable, ultra-short,setting tool; and

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method for using the disposable, ultra-short,setting tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description of the embodiments refers to the accompanyingdrawings. The same reference numbers in different drawings identify thesame or similar elements. The following detailed description does notlimit the invention. Instead, the scope of the invention is defined bythe appended claims. The following embodiments are discussed, forsimplicity, with regard to a setting tool. However, the embodimentsdiscussed herein are also applicable to any tool in which ahigh-pressure is generated and then that high-pressure needs to betransferred to a piston without the presence of an oil.

Reference throughout the specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristicdescribed in connection with an embodiment is included in at least oneembodiment of the subject matter disclosed. Thus, the appearance of thephrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various placesthroughout the specification is not necessarily referring to the sameembodiment. Further, the particular features, structures orcharacteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or moreembodiments.

According to an embodiment, a setting tool for setting an auxiliary toolin a well includes an adaptor sub for affixing an ignitor, an innermandrel having an upper and a lower section, the upper section having aninternal chamber suitable for housing a power charge, and the lowersection configured to connect to a sub for affixing an auxiliary tool, abarrel piston having slidably engaged inner and outer sections, anannular gas chamber located between the barrel piston inner and outersections, and a gas flow port located on the upper section of the innermandrel, where the gas flow port provides a fluid communication pathbetween the inner mandrel internal chamber and the annular gas chamberof the barrel piston. Activation of the power charge by the ignitorcauses a gas to pressurize the annular gas chamber of the barrel pistonand the inner section of the barrel piston to stroke downward to set theauxiliary tool in the well.

An example embodiment is shown in FIG. 2 in a preactivated state as thesetting tool is run into the casing. In preferred embodiments, thesetting tool 200 contains no hydraulic fluid and thus may be readilydisposed of after use. Therefore, the term “disposable setting tool” isinterpreted in this document to mean a setting tool that does not storeoil for acting on a piston. In the configuration shown in FIG. 2, thesetting tool may be provided with an adaptor sub 210 configured toaccept an S1® Ignitor 212 manufactured by the present applicantGEODynamics and described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,036,236, which isincorporated herein. Other types of ignitors 212 and firing devices maybe readily accepted in the adaptor sub 210 as shown. Alternatively, thesetting tool 200 is provided alone and is configured to accept commonindustry firing heads, devices, or subs. In this exemplary embodiment,an S1 ignitor 212 is installed into the provided adaptor sub 210 locatedat the uphole end of the setting tool. Note that “upper” or “uphole” endare terms used herein to mean to the left as shown in a figure and thisend corresponds to a higher level in a vertical well, or towards theheel when discussing a lateral portion of a well. Conversely, “lower” or“downhole” end refer to a lower position to the right of a figure orfurther down a well towards the end or toe of the well.

The adaptor sub 212 includes a passage 214 therethrough for ignition ofa power charge 216, which is located in this embodiment within the innermandrel 220 of the setting tool 200. The inner mandrel 220 has twosections, an upper section 222 and a lower section 224. The uppersection 222 contains the power charge chamber 230, which terminates at afirst blind end 232. Opposite that first blind end 232 is a wall 234separating a second blind end 236, which defines an auxiliary chamber238. The second blind end 236 marks the beginning of the lower section224 of the inner mandrel 220. In one embodiment, the auxiliary chamber238 is not present and thus, there is no second blind end 236. If theauxiliary chamber 238 is present, as in FIG. 2, it may have one or moreports 239 that fluidly communicate an exterior of the lower section 224to the auxiliary chamber 238. The lower section 224 is configured withthreads 225 to accept the adjuster sub 240 for connection to a downholeauxiliary tool, such as a frac or bridge plug or other device to be setwithin the casing (not shown).

An outer barrel piston 250 is configured to enclose the upper section222 of the inner mandrel 220. The outer barrel piston 250 has twoslidably connected sections, an inner section 252 and an outer section254. As illustrated in FIG. 2, The inner section 252 is directly facingthe inner mandrel 220 and the outer section 254 is directly facing theinner section 252, so that the inner section 252 is sandwiched betweenthe inner mandrel 220 and the outer section 254. Thus in its run-instate, the upper portion 222 of the inner mandrel 220, and the innersection 252 and the outer section 254 of the barrel piston 250 aretightly nested together, thus reducing the overall tool length L. Theterm “nesting” herein refers to the concentric arrangement of the outerbarrel piston and the upper section of the setting tool in theirpre-activated state. The more concentrically arranged these sectionsinitially results in a shorter setting tool, thus reducing the overalltool string length, which aids in the ability to run the string (havingthe setting tool) into the casing and maneuver the string through bendsand other deviations in the wellbore trajectory. In the presentlydisclosed embodiments, three (222, 252, and 254) of the four mainsections (222, 224, 252, and 254) of the setting tool 200 are initiallynested (i.e., coaxial with each other), with only a portion of the lowersection 224 extending outside the nest in its pre-activated, run-instate.

FIG. 3 shows in more detail how the upper section 222 of the innermandrel 220 is attached with threads 302 to the adaptor sub 210, whichhas its own threads 211. The threads 302 extend along the upper section222 so that the outer section 254 of the barrel piston 250 also attacheswith corresponding threads 255 to the upper section 222. In thisembodiment, the outer section 254 has a shoulder 256 that radiallyextends toward the upper section 222 and directly contacts it with thethreads 255. A seal 304 may be located between the outer section 254 andthe adaptor sub 210, and a seal 306 may be located between the innersection 252 and the outer section 254, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 3 further shows that a first port 310 is formed at the lip 312 ofthe upper section 222. The first port 310 and the lip 312 of the uppersection 222 are shown in more detail in FIG. 4. Note that this figureshows one or more gas passage slots 402 that extend along a longitudinalaxis X of the threads 302 of the upper section 222, i.e., the slot 402extends transversally to the threads 302. Further, this figure showsthat the slot 402 cuts into the threads 302 so that a pressurized gas,which is discussed later, can move unimpeded along the slot 402, fromthe first port 310 to a second port 314. FIG. 4 shows four such slots402 and four corresponding first ports 310. However, one skilled in theart will know that any number of ports and corresponding slots may beused. Slot 402 extends from first port 310, through all the threads 302,to the second port 314. The second port 314 is bordered by a raised zone316 of the upper section 222, which is also illustrated in FIG. 3.

Returning to FIG. 3, an actuation chamber 320 is formed by the uppersection 222, the inner section 252, and the outer section 254. Thesecond port 314 is positioned to also define the actuation chamber 320.This means that a passage 315, including the first port 310, the slot402, and the second port 314, is formed between the power charge chamber230 and the actuation chamber 320, and the role of this passage isdiscussed later. Note that the actuation chamber 320 is shaped as anannulus between the upper section 222 of the inner mandrel 220 and theouter section 254 of barrel piston 250.

In one or more embodiments, the power charge 216 may be comprised of acompact power charge that when used within the upper section of theinner mandrel further promotes the nesting of the inner mandrel andbarrel piston's sections, which results in a setting tool ofsignificantly reduced length. In this embodiment, the length L, asmeasured from the upper most end of the inner mandrel 220 to thelowermost end that accepts the adjuster sub 240, measures approximately22.31 inches for a 7-inch stroke S (shown in FIG. 5). Other reductionsin length are readily contemplated by those skilled in the art havingthe benefit of the present disclosure and may include tools of 20 inchesor less. Depending upon the setting force required for the given tool tobe set, a shorter stroke may be required and or less force and thus thepower charge requirements may be reduced, thus shortening the tool'slength depending upon specific applications.

Returning to FIG. 2, a seal 308 is shown being located between the uppersection 222 of the inner mandrel 220 and the inner section 252 of thebarrel piston 250. This seal ensures that a pressurized gas that istransferred from the power charge chamber 230 into the actuation chamber320 is not escaping along an interface between the upper section 222 ofthe inner mandrel 220 and the inner section 252 of the barrel piston250. Note that in this embodiment, the seal 308 is the only seal betweenthe barrel piston and the inner mandrel, i.e., there is no second sealpresent between the barrel piston and the inner mandrel.

FIG. 5 shows the setting tool 200 in its fully stroked state followingactivation. Ignitor 212 ignited the power charge 216, which resulted ina pressurized gas being formed within the power charge chamber 230. Thepressurized gas exits the power charge chamber 230 of the upper section222 of the inner mandrel 220, though the first port 310, then movesalong the slot 402, and then enters, through the second port 314 (seeFIGS. 3 and 4 for details of the passage 315 followed by the pressurizedgas), into the actuation chamber 320, which is located outside themandrel 220 and in between the upper section 222 of the inner mandrel220 and the outer section 254 of the barrel piston 250, as illustratedin FIG. 5. In one application, the first port may include a rupturedisk.

The pressured gas directly strokes the inner section 252 of the barrelpiston 250 when entering the actuation chamber 320, which results in thedownward movement of the inner section 252. Thus, there is no need forany oil to activate the inner section 252. The path of the pressured gasfrom the power charge chamber to the actuation chamber is illustrated byarrows in FIG. 5. Note that because the outer section 254 of the barrelpiston is attached by threads to the upper section 222 of the innermandrel, the outer section 254 is fixed while the inner section 252 ismovable. Thus, in this embodiment, upon activation of the setting tool,the outer section 254 remains stationary within the casing while theinner section 252 imparts the compressive setting force F to theauxiliary tool while the adjuster sub 240 holds the auxiliary tool.Other arrangements are readily contemplated whereby the nested design ofthe setting tool may include a stationary mandrel with a barrel pistonthat strokes, for example.

As mentioned above, the setting tool 200 has the ability to self-ventthe pressurized gases while still downhole, following activation. Thisis achieved by the venting mechanism 500, which is located, as shown inFIG. 5, between the inner section 252 and the outer section 254. In oneimplementation, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the venting mechanism 500includes a step down in the thickness of the outer section 254, from afirst thickness T1 to a smaller thickness T2, so that a passage 510 (orannulus) is formed between the inner section 252 and the outer section254. A shoulder 502 defines the reduction in thickness of the outersection 254 of the barrel piston 250. When the upper part 253 of theinner section 252, which fits tightly inside the actuation chamber 230,moves downward past the shoulder 502, the actuation chamber 320 isfluidly connected, through the passage 510, with an exterior (ambient)of the setting tool, i.e., with the bore 602 of the casing 604, so thatthe pressured gas from the actuation chamber 320 is free to escape intothe bore, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 6. The venting mechanismmay also be implemented as one or a combination of a slot, a channel orthe step down in the diameter of the cylindrical body of the barrelpiston. Note that the starting point of the thinner thickness T2 of theouter section 254 is selected such that when the inner section 252 fullystrokes, past the shoulder 502 of the venting mechanism 500, the gaspressure automatically escapes along the passage 510, outside of thesetting tool. This self-venting is accomplished while the setting toolis downhole as part of the activation sequence and thus removes the needto depressurize the setting tool at the surface. FIG. 6 further showsthe seal 306 between the inner section 252 and the outer section 254 andthe seal 308 between the inner section 252 and the inner mandrel 220.Note that the seal 306 prevents the pressured gas to exit the activationchamber 320 as long as the seal is located in an upward directionrelative to the venting mechanism 500, but allows the gas escape aftermoving past the shoulder 502 in this embodiment.

Returning to FIG. 5, the adaptor sub 212 may include a gas passage 520,which is closed by a cap 522, that allows a secondary manual bleed orvent capability. As discussed above, the setting tool will self-vent(“self-bleed”) gas pressure downhole as part of the activation sequence.However, in certain scenarios, a setting tool may jam or otherwise notfully complete its activation as defined by full extension of its normalstroke. An incomplete stroke thus does not allow a piston or mandrel tofully extend past the point at which the bleed port of valve opens, thusleaving the setting tool in a pressurized state. In that event, thesetting tool must be withdrawn from the well and depressurized forsafety. The present adaptor sub gas passage 520 allow that venting to besafely and readily conducted at the surface in the event of a faulty orincomplete activation.

In any of the above embodiments, the lower section 224 of the innermandrel 220 may include a damping element 270, for example, elastomericgrommet, bushing, sleeve, O-ring or a combination of these or otherelastomeric elements, that is configured to dampen the shock that occursduring the setting tool activation process. As shown in FIG. 5, forexample, the damping element 270 is placed concentric to the lowersection 224 of the inner mandrel 220, so that the inner section 252 ofthe barrel piston 250 is stopped by the damping element 270 when fullystroke by the pressurized gas. Alternatively, the damping element 270may be attached to the inner section 252.

A method for setting the setting tool 200 is now discussed with regardto FIG. 7. The method starts in step 700 by lowering the setting tool200 into the casing 604. The setting tool 200 has the inner section 252tucked into the outer section 254 of the outer barrel piston 250. Afterthe setting tool 200 arrives at its final position inside the well, thepower charge 216 stored in the power charge chamber 230 is ignited instep 702. Pressured gas formed within the power charger chamber 230, asa consequence of the ignition step, is directed in step 704, along thepassage 315, to the actuation chamber 320, formed between the uppersection 222 and the outer section 254, and actuates in step 706 theinner section 252 to fully stroke. Then, in step 708, the auxiliary tool(e.g., plug) attached to the setting tool 200 is set inside the casing.

The disclosed embodiments provide methods and an ultra-short settingtool for well operations in which the setting tool is disposable, i.e.,does not use oil for activating an auxiliary tool. It should beunderstood that this description is not intended to limit the invention.On the contrary, the exemplary embodiments are intended to coveralternatives, modifications and equivalents, which are included in thespirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.Further, in the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments,numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide acomprehensive understanding of the claimed invention. However, oneskilled in the art would understand that various embodiments may bepracticed without such specific details.

Although the features and elements of the present exemplary embodimentsare described in the embodiments in particular combinations, eachfeature or element can be used alone without the other features andelements of the embodiments or in various combinations with or withoutother features and elements disclosed herein.

This written description uses examples of the subject matter disclosedto enable any person skilled in the art to practice the same, includingmaking and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporatedmethods. The patentable scope of the subject matter is defined by theclaims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled inthe art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of theclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A setting tool for setting an auxiliary tool in awell, the setting tool comprising: an adaptor sub for affixing anignitor; an inner mandrel having an upper section and a lower section,the upper section having an internal chamber suitable for housing apower charge, and the lower section configured to connect to an adaptersub for affixing the auxiliary tool; a barrel piston having slidablyengaged inner and outer sections; an actuation chamber located betweenthe upper section of the inner mandrel and the outer section of thebarrel piston; and a first port located on the upper section of theinner mandrel, wherein the first port is part of a fluid communicationpassage between the internal chamber and the actuation chamber, whereinactivation of the power charge by the ignitor causes gas to pressurizethe actuation chamber and the inner section of the barrel piston tostroke downward to set the auxiliary tool in the well.
 2. The settingtool of claim 1, wherein the upper section of the inner mandrel, theinner section of the barrel piston, and the outer section of the barrelpiston are concentrically positioned, in this order, prior toactivation.
 3. The setting tool of claim 1, wherein the setting toolcontains no hydraulic fluid.
 4. The setting tool of claim 1, wherein theadaptor sub further comprises a manual back-off for gas bleeding.
 5. Thesetting tool of claim 1, wherein the setting tool is self-venting. 6.The setting tool of claim 1, further comprising: a dampening elementlocated between an end of the inner section of the barrel piston and thelower section of the inner mandrel so that when the inner section isfully stroked, the end of the inner section squeezes the dampeningelement against the adapter sub.
 7. The setting tool of claim 1, whereina length of the setting tool as measured from an upper end of the innermandrel to a lower end of the inner mandrel, prior to activation of thepower charge, is 22.5 inches or less.
 8. The setting tool of claim 1,wherein the upper section of the inner mandrel has threads configured toengage (1) corresponding treads of the adaptor sub and (2) correspondingthreads of the outer section of the barrel piston.
 9. The setting toolof claim 8, wherein the outer section of the barrel piston is fixedlyattached to the inner mandrel and the inner section of the barrel pistonmoves in an annulus formed by the inner mandrel and the outer section.10. The setting tool of claim 8, wherein one or more slots are formedperpendicular to the threads of the upper section of the inner mandrel,and the one or more slots fluidly communicates the first port with asecond port formed in the actuation chamber.
 11. The setting tool ofclaim 1, wherein the first port is formed in a lip of the upper sectionof the inner mandrel.
 12. The setting tool of claim 1, furthercomprising: a venting mechanism located between the inner section andthe outer section of the barrel piston, the venting mechanism beingconfigured to allow the pressured gas from the activation chamber toescape outside the setting tool, wherein the venting mechanism is closedwhen the inner section is not actuated, and the venting mechanism isopen when the inner section is fully stroked.
 13. A setting tool forsetting an auxiliary tool in a well, the setting tool comprising: aninner mandrel having an upper section and a lower section, the uppersection having an internal chamber configured to house a power charge; abarrel piston enclosing the upper section of the inner mandrel, thebarrel piston having (1) an outer section fixedly attached with a treadto the upper section, and (2) an inner section slidably inserted betweenthe outer section and the upper section; and an actuation chamberlocated between the upper section of the inner mandrel and the outersection of the barrel piston and configured to receive a pressured gasfrom the internal chamber, through a slot that extends transversal tothe thread of the upper section of the inner mandrel.
 14. The settingtool of claim 13, further comprising: a first port located on the uppersection of the inner mandrel, wherein the first port (310) is fluidlyconnected to a first end of the slot.
 15. The setting tool of claim 14,wherein the first port is formed in a lip of the upper section of theinner mandrel.
 16. The setting tool of claim 14, further comprising: asecond port located on the upper section of the inner mandrel, whereinthe second port is fluidly connected to a second end of the slot. 17.The setting tool of claim 13, further comprising: an adaptor subattached to an upper end of the inner mandrel; and an adjuster subattached to a lower end of the inner mandrel.
 18. The setting tool ofclaim 17, further comprising: an ignitor located in the adaptor sub; andthe power charge located in the internal chamber, wherein activation ofthe power charge by the ignitor causes gas to pressurize the actuationchamber and the inner section of the barrel piston to stroke downward toset the auxiliary tool in the well.
 19. The setting tool of claim 13,wherein the upper section of the inner mandrel, the inner section of thebarrel piston, and the outer section of the barrel piston areconcentrically positioned, in this order, prior to activation, and thesetting tool contains no hydraulic fluid.
 20. The setting tool of claim13, further comprising: a dampening element located between an end ofthe inner section of the barrel piston and the lower section of theinner mandrel so that when the inner section is fully stroked, the endof the inner section squeezes the dampening element against an adaptersub attached to the lower section.
 21. The setting tool of claim 13,further comprising: a venting mechanism located between the innersection and the outer section of the barrel piston, the ventingmechanism being configured to allow the pressured gas from theactivation chamber to escape the setting tool, wherein the ventingmechanism is closed when the inner section is not actuated, and theventing mechanism is open when the inner section is fully stroked.
 22. Amethod for using a setting tool in a casing, the method comprising:lowering the setting tool into the casing; igniting a power chargelocated inside an inner mandrel of the setting tool; directing apressured gas generated by the ignited power charge between an innersection and an outer section of a barrel piston; actuating the innersection with the pressured gas so that the inner section moves relativeto the outer section; and setting an auxiliary tool attached to thesetting tool when the inner section is fully stroked, wherein anactuation chamber located between the inner mandrel and the outersection of the barrel piston is configured to receive the pressured gasfrom an internal chamber of the inner mandrel, through a slot thatextends transversal to a thread of the upper section of the innermandrel.